Northern Powergrid has revealed its collaboration with Regen for the Net Zero Community Energy Fund, now entering its third year of operation.
The grant offers funding of up to £10,000 per project, with a total of £50,000 available to support new or existing community energy organizations and climate action groups across the North East, Yorkshire and Humber, and northern Lincolnshire regions.
Over the past two years, the fund has contributed to 17 net zero community initiatives, encompassing activities such as the establishment of community-owned solar generation, engagement efforts on net zero, and the exploration of local electricity trading ventures.
The primary objective of the fund is to assist both emerging and established groups in enhancing their capacity, accessing specialized knowledge, and investigating feasible project concepts during the early stages of project development.
Applications are open to community-based organizations and charities, including volunteer-led groups, registered charities, community benefit societies, community interest companies, or not-for-profit organizations with charitable objectives. Additionally, the applying organization must have generated less than £100,000 in income during the most recent financial year.
Katie Privett, Northern Powergrid’s regional insights manager, expressed pride in the partnership with Regen, emphasizing the fund’s role in enabling local energy groups to positively impact communities across the region.
She stated, “The Net Zero Community Energy Fund provides vital funds to empower a thriving, connected, and strong community energy sector, from establishing new energy groups to implementing solar panels and transitioning from old boilers to efficient heat pumps, which are now future-proof.”
Community Engagement and Renewable Energy
Local communities have historically played a significant role in renewable energy projects, exemplified by the ongoing development of a 14-turbine wind farm in the Scottish Borders. Set to become Britain’s largest people-owned renewable energy project, the wind farm has the capacity to supply electricity to over 50,000 homes annually, generating approximately 145GWh per year.
Developed by BayWa r.e., a global leader in renewable energy projects with a track record of 144 wind projects worldwide and 2.5GW of installed wind energy, the wind farm allows people across the country to co-own the infrastructure via a cooperative model. This initiative enables households to utilize up to 100% green energy, thereby reducing bills and carbon footprints.
Moreover, UK Power Networks (UKPN) recently introduced a tool aimed at assisting local authorities in identifying potential sites for community-owned wind and solar farms. By combining spatial and land use datasets for ground-based solar PV and onshore wind across 18,000 square kilometers, the tool enables users to visualize available energy capacity and identify suitable locations for future projects through an intuitive mapping interface.